Lesson 15 – Bias and Impartiality: Ideology Lesson 15

Starter Discuss, with the person sitting next to you, your understanding of the following word: Bias 2

BIAS A positive or negative attitude towards something, often based on preconceptions or viewpoints. 3

Bias Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code is in place to make sure that any TV news broadcast is truthful, accurate, fair and balanced. Although not overtly biased, it could be suggested that the gatekeeping approach may not be an impartial selection of news stories. 4

Bias Corporate bias – stories may be selected or slanted to please the corporate owners of media. (Rupert Murdoch owns News International, who among others owns Fox News and Sky News.) Mainstream bias – stories are selected on the basis of what every other news channel is reporting, as well as avoiding stories that will offend anyone. Sensationalism bias – stories are selected which may impart more exciting news than ordinary common events. Concision bias – stories are selected on the basis that they are succinctly short and easy to report, rather than news that may take time to explain. 5

The wolf’s perspective A classic fairy tale only tells the story from one perspective! Red Riding Hood’s! We do not know the wolf’s side of the story! Write the wolf’s version! 6

Plenary Question 1 Stories can often be made more exciting by changing the words – i.e. an ex-con sounds better than referring to a person who was in prison over 15 years ago for a very minor offence. What type of bias is this? Corporate bias Mainstream bias Sensationalism bias Concision bias 7

Plenary Question 2 Stories can be placed and selected according to what is most current and topical. What type of bias is this? Corporate bias Mainstream bias Sensationalism bias Concision bias 8

Plenary Question 3 Stories can be specifically chosen by the editor in charge to suit the owner of the organisation. What type of bias is this? Corporate bias Mainstream bias Sensationalism bias Concision bias 9

Plenary Question 4 Specific stories can be selected to report on because they are short and to the point, rather than lengthy and debatable. What type of bias is this? Corporate bias Mainstream bias Sensationalism bias Concision bias 10

Plenary Answers Question 1Sensationalism bias Question 2Mainstream bias Question 3Corporate bias Question 4Concision bias 11

IMPARTIALITY – what does it mean? 12

IMPARTIALITY – what does it mean? Discuss your understanding of this term with the person sitting next to you. Can you come up with a understandable definition? 13

TV news broadcasting and election coverage It is the coverage of the general election that really tests TV news broadcasters’ impartiality and balance. There are strict rules within the Broadcasting Code that must be adhered to. Some of the main points are: Presenters are not allowed to use their position to encourage or persuade voters to support a particular political party or candidate. Due impartiality must be strictly maintained and major parties must be given equal opportunities for coverage. When polling opens there must not be any discussion or analysis of election and referendum issues, and they cannot be discussed until the poll closes. 14

Impartiality activity The worksheet shows a report which is biased and sensationalised. What words would you take out to make the report impartial? Write the impartial version on the worksheet. 15

Impartiality activity The words that should have been removed are highlighted in bold! Good afternoon – the idiotic political party leaders are due to arrive in Brussels later to discuss the dreadful results of the European elections. David Cameron is expected to forcefully urge fellow EU leaders to embrace reform as mainstream parties fight furiously to recover their positions after the fantastic success of Eurosceptics across Europe. In the UK, UKIP won nearly 28% of the votes. The party now has more MEPs than silly Labour and the stupid Conservatives. 16

Stuart Hall’s preferred reading theory Stuart Hall’s theory is that any media text is constructed to have an intended or preferred reading which is the representation of the media producer’s ideas and values. Of course, impartiality means that there is no likelihood of the audience perceiving any intended meaning. 17

Stuart Hall’s preferred reading theory Preferred reading – audience is in total acceptance of the intended meaning Negotiated reading – audience may agree or disagree with some of the preferred reading Oppositional reading – audience are in total disagreement with the preferred reading 18

Stuart Hall’s preferred reading theory Because TV news broadcasts have to be impartial, it is up to us, the audience, to seek out the desired information to form our own opinions about our political ideals. 19

Jeremy Paxman – Newsnight Watch from 10:15 – two Paxman clips 20

Jeremy Paxman – Newsnight Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight is able to challenge the guests, which is permissible partiality, so long as the audience understand this to be the case. This is when the opportunity for the audience to form their own opinions or ‘reading’ arises. 21

Plenary Find a news report and make it biased, by adding adjectives to make it sensational and opinionated. 22